Not well versed in these types of things, but I’d imagine this isn’t good:

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was informed that several Buckeyes players were selling memorabilia more than eight months before the school claims it was made aware of the scheme, a two-month Yahoo! Sports investigation has found.

Tressel received information that players were selling items to Edward Rife – the owner of Fine Line Ink Tattoos in Columbus – as early as April 2010, according to a source. However, neither Ohio State nor the NCAA investigated the transactions or the players’ relationship with Rife until December 2010, when the school claims it was informed of the situation by the local United States Attorney’s office.

I’m not surprised by any of this.

Obviously Ben-the-Ohio-State-Graduate-and-Fan, wishes this wasn’t the case. I like to think of Jim Tressel as the moral, grandfatherly leader of the Ohio State football program. The vest, the Tressel-ball, the absolute love for all things Ohio State, the winning… etc. Jim Tressel is a giant.

However, Ben-the-rational-human-being kinda figured. I mean, can you name me a big time college football school that is completely clean? It’s kinda like with Lance Armstrong and steroids. Sure, he’s never tested positive for anything, but he routinely won races against by a bunch of dopers. So you’re telling me the one guy without any extra help was the guy won? Really?

So ya. Tressel may have knew about Pryor and company before he said. This could be major NCAA violations for Ohio State.

A lot of the Ohio State folks that I follow on Twitter are making big hay out of the fact that Yahoo is using just one, unnamed, source. (“You gotta show your face if you’re gonna take down the Don!”

And while I appreciate that argument, I’d like to hear more (from OSU especially) before we start questioning the sourcing. Could it be untrue? Sure. But I’d like proof that the source is BS before I starting calling the source BS.

The fan in me wants to bekieve everyone is playing by the rules, but the realist in me says anyone who wins 10 or more games a year for 10 years isn’t. Its why I like pro sports better, no hiding, no BS rules, this guy gets this much, that guy got that much and rules violations are met with stiff penalties. No Cam “I didn’t know my dad was selling me off like a used pinto” Newton situations.

Also, just because he knew and didn’t report it isn’t as bad as, say, delivering a suitcase full of cash in a dark parking lot.